Live-action Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi has posted a cryptic tease for Ahsoka season 2.

Esfandi made his live-action debut in the first season of the show, and he'll soon be returning when the show airs on Disney Plus early next year.

"'The pain you're feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming' I tell myself as I await season 2," Esfandi wrote on Twitter.

The tease is so mysterious that even the official Star Wars account doesn't seem to know what to make of it, simply replying: "Eman"

Esfandi had a response, however: "Should've left that in the drafts my b"

At the end of Ahsoka season 1, Ezra safely made it back to the main galaxy by stowing away on Grand Admiral Thrawn's ship. But, Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren were left behind, along with Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati.

So far, Ahsoka season 2 is shrouded in mystery. What we know for sure, though, is that Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker, Admiral Ackbar will face off against Thrawn, Rory McCann is taking over as Baylan from the late Ray Stevenson, and there will be battles across two galaxies.

"Anybody who saw the sequels knows that there's a First Order coming in, like, 20 years from where we are now in the storyline," The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has teased of the second Ahsoka season. "And then Ahsoka season 2 is coming out – which I've seen all of – and that's definitely more dealing with the larger [picture], a higher level. That's about the officers and we're the enlisted men – this is more of a ground-level experience of what's going on. You're seeing the backdrop – which, by the way, is what the first Star Wars started off as."

Ahsoka season 2 doesn't have a firm release date yet beyond early 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Over six months after Stranger Things came to an end, Eleven star Millie Bobby Brown says only she and the show's creators know what really happened to her character.

"And you know what? The Duffer Brothers and I, we made a secret pact that we know the true ending," said Brown on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, adding that "whatever they choose to do with that information, they do," but she still hasn't told anyone. "Even my husband's like, 'Just tell me.'"

At the end of Stranger Things season 5, after defeating Vecna in the Upside Down and helping her friends get back to Hawkins, Eleven decides that the only way to close the gate to the Upside Down for good is to sacrifice herself as Hopper blows up the gate (you can read more on that in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained).

However, later in the episode, Mike Wheeler tells the others that Eleven is still alive, and that Kali projected an image of Eleven inside the gate while the real Eleven escaped. Wheeler imagines his girlfriend living in rural Iceland. This left her fate pretty open-ended and convinced a lot of fans that the character may still be alive.

Back when the finale aired, the Duffer brothers revealed that they left Eleven's fate open so that viewers could choose for themselves what happened to her, but they know the truth. On the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Matt Duffer said, "This is ambiguous. I mean, you're writing from a point of view of understanding what the truth is and the reality is," adding, "I think it takes away the power of the ending if you tell people what you were thinking as you were writing it."

However, many fans were not too happy with the ending, which led to a widespread conspiracy theory known as Conformity Gate. Stranger Things fans were convinced that there was a secret ninth episode on the way, and that 'clues' from the final season pointed to Vecna tricking the audience. Alas, no other episode ever arrived. When Fallon mentioned the theory, Brown replied, "Oh my gosh! Shut up!"

Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix, but the franchise lives on, as Stranger Things: Tales From '85 season 2 is in the works. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows

Back in 2020, The Mandalorian season 2 broke the internet when it brought back Luke Skywalker in the finale. The cameo was a total secret, even to the actors on set, bar Pedro Pascal.

But, Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand in the Star Wars universe, has revealed she knew the truth the whole time.

"Oh, I knew it was Luke. How could you not? The glove, the lightsaber, the R2-D2 that they painted freaking green," Wen said in conversation with Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze (and had no idea they were dealing with Luke Skywalker). "I just turned to Jon [Favreau] and Dave [Filoni], I'm like, 'Are you kidding me?'"

The cover story was this mysterious Jedi was none other than Plo Koon, who died during Order 66 – a story Sackhoff apparently believed.

"I'm like, 'Come on. It's R2-D2.' They're like, 'No it's not,'" Wen added, confirming no one would tell her the truth in the moment. Check out the conversation below.

In the finale, Luke Skywalker showed up to save Mando, Grogu, Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, and Fennec Shand from the Dark Troopers.

"But even when they didn't admit it, I didn't know how they were going to present it," Wen added. "So, I was very surprised, because I didn't see all those other stuff… It was amazing. I still cried and freaked out."

Luke Skywalker showed up again in The Book of Boba Fett, but hasn't been seen since – though a Star Wars fan spotted a background detail in The Mandalorian and Grogu that might have hinted at his presence on Adelphi Base.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters, and, right now, we don't know what's next for Din Djarin and Baby Yoda. The next Star Wars release is Ahsoka season 2, which is arriving in early 2027.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Fallout season 3 is in the works and, by the sounds of things, it's got some surprises in store.

That's according to Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard, who not only teased to Entertainment Weekly that season 3 "is gonna start shooting soon," but also hinted at what's to come.

"We talked about this at the end of season 2, hinting we're going to new places," Howard shared. "So one of the things that we all love about Fallout is the geography of the world and being able to show some new things in the Fallout world that I think will surprise people, that they've never seen before in the games."

During the Fallout season 2 ending, the Ghoul sets off for Colorado, while Max and Lucy are faced with the approaching Legion.

"We know The Ghoul is heading to Colorado, ideally, but in the Wasteland, thou shalt be sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time," co-showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet has teased of season 3.

"He still needs to figure out exactly where he's going," she added. "Of course, Lucy and Max and many of our other characters are not necessarily heading to Colorado, so we're very excited to unveil new locations next season. In Fallout, you're always journeying and exploring and building your map out bigger, so that's what we want to be mimetic of."

There are some newcomers confirmed for season 3, too, with Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul set to join the cast, along with The Acolyte's Manny Jacinto, Paddington in Peru's Emily Mortimer, and Jojo Rabbit's Thomasin McKenzie.

Fallout season 3 doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows worth getting excited about this year.

After the success of Maul – Shadow Lord, Darth Maul voice actor Sam Witwer says he wants Star Wars to take more risks, because if not, the sci-fi franchise won't grow.

"You have to take creative risks. It’s like the Maul character – if you’re not going to take risks with the Maul character, do something really new with him, you should not be taking the character out," said Witwer on the Pause for Thought podcast. "I think it’s the same thing with Star Wars in general… Certain things are gonna hit with certain audiences – everyone has their favorite. But without that spirit of experimentation, you don’t get anywhere."

Maul – Shadow Lord is quite out of the ordinary for the franchise. Using noir-inspired animation style with real paint strokes mixed with computer-generated visuals, the series looks different from anything we have seen before in Star Wars and shines a more positive light on a once-hated villain. However, doing something different paid off. Shadow Lord sits at a near-perfect 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and we awarded it 4 out of 5 stars in our Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 review.

The same goes for Andor. Differing from traditional Star Wars movies and shows, which adopt typical space-fantasy themes, Andor gives fans an insight into the reality of living under oppressive Imperial rule. Andor has a 96% score on RT.

Witwer says Star Wars should be taking these risks more often. But fans are feeling it too. Just last month, Star Wars fans were complaining about the number of projects set between the prequels and original trilogy, wondering if now is the time to move on.

However, it seems as though the tide is turning. As well as Maul – Shadow Lord season 2, which is already in production, the franchise is ready to tell some fresh stories, starting with Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling. Levy has also shown interest in making a Star Wars horror movie, which we are well overdue for.

For more on the way, check out our list of upcoming Star Wars movies and shows, and keep up with the Galaxy Far Far Away with our guide on how to watch Star Wars movies in order.

The Boroughs actor Denis O'Hare has taken to Instagram to encourage fans and Emmy voters to get out there and show Netflix that they made a big mistake.

"So, it’s Saturday and I’m just thinking about the fact that Netflix canceled The Boroughs and how really bummed I am because it was such a great show, it was such a great show and people really seem to love it," O'Hare said in a video he posted to Instagram.

"Anyway, so I think we still have a couple of days before the end of Emmy voting that everyone should just vote for The Boroughs," he continued. "You can vote for me if you like. But also like Bill Pullman and Alfre Woodard and Alfie [Alfred] Molina and Geena Davis and Clarke Peters, Seth Numrich, Alice Kremelberg and vote for ‘The Boroughs’ for Best Series and, you know, stick it to Netflix and let them know that they made a mistake, you know, because I think that would be sweet revenge. Anyway, I love the show, I miss it and, you know, whatever." You can watch the full video below.

The Boroughs series hit Netflix on May 21 and climbed to 9.6 million viewers in its first week before dropping to 3 million, debuting with an impressive 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. The streaming giant pulled the plug on June 17, with reports citing the high production costs and viewership decline as reasons for cancellation. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who created Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance TV series, served as executive producers and showrunners, with The Duffer Brothers producing under their Upside Down Pictures banner.

The sci-fi show, inspired by the 1985 Ron Howard movie Cocoon, took place in a seemingly picturesque retirement community that saw a group of unlikely heroes band together to stop an otherworldly threat lurking within.

The Boroughs is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to add to your streaming queue right now, or check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows you need to know about.

Fallout season 3 has added three new cast members to its line-up, and fans of the Prime Video game adaptation are impressed.

According to Deadline, Manny Jacinto, Emily Mortimer, and Thomasin McKenzie have all joined the cast in recurring roles. There are no details on their characters just yet, however.

Fans are particularly impressed by Jacinto joining the cast – the actor is best known for his roles in The Good Place, The Acolyte, and Freakier Friday.

"I'm so curious to see who Manny plays," says one fan on Reddit, with another agreeing: "The man has flexibility, from charming dumbass to cold-blooded killer."

"Manny was good on Acolyte and very different than his Good Place character, so he could play someone like that, they really do good with the casting on each season," thinks another fan.

"Manny yo. I am excited to see what character he plays," is another person's thoughts. Another jokes, "Hopefully Manny's arms make an appearance," after his biceps impressed on The Acolyte. Someone else jokes: "They had to bring in Manny Jacinto because he's the only one who can out-jawline Ella Purnell."

"An already stacked cast is getting even more stacked," says another person. "Crazy the amount of fantastic actors they’ve got already, I hope they can continue to use them all well."

"Ooh Emily and Thomasin. That's a damn good group of actors right there," agrees another.

The newcomers join Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul as additions to the upcoming season, while the likes of Purnell, Walton Goggins, and Aaron Moten will return.

Fallout season 3 doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming video game adaptations or new TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

Long before the current Disney Plus era of Star Wars, it turns out George Lucas wanted to make a TV show centered around Ian McDiarmid's Emperor Palpatine.

McDiarmid himself revealed the news at Spacecon San Antonio 2026, via The Popverse.

"[George Lucas] was talking about, I think I can tell you now, a television series," McDiarmid shared. "At the time we didn't think about Star Wars in terms of television series. Very speculative. We had lunch one day, and he said I've got this idea, and I hope you might want to be involved. We could sort of follow the Emperor's progress, like Hitler's, some of that. There might be an assassination attempt, and of course it wouldn't succeed. It sounded really exciting. And he also said that maybe you could direct one, and then I fainted. But sadly, that didn't come to pass."

While this does sound like a separate project, especially since McDiarmid says it was "speculative," it's possible this could have been part of the Underworld TV show, which would've been set between the prequel and original trilogies and focused largely on Coruscant's criminal underworld. However, it really does seem Lucas had an entirely separate, Palpatine-focused project in mind.

Of course, while Andor season 1 and 2 never actually featured the Emperor on screen, they did deal heavily with Imperial politics, which might be the closest we get to seeing a project like the one envisioned by Lucas. McDiarmid, meanwhile, returned as Palpatine for a cameo in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has a confirmed release window of early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu, meanwhile, is in theaters now.

You can keep up to date on everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Despite being one of the best new original shows of 2026 so far, Netflix has canceled The Boroughs. Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers produced the new sci-fi show, which saw a group of retirement home residents attempting to navigate an otherworldly threat.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision was made to cancel it after only a month on the platform due to two major reasons. The first is cost, as sci-fi is expensive to produce, meaning the viewership threshold needs to be as high as possible to compensate.

That being said, it seems like the show did pretty well. It's been in the weekly top 10 on Netflix every week since its May 21 release, which is no mean feat.

However, there's also another player at work: the Duffer brothers' new deal with Paramount. The creators have an upcoming movie due to be released by the studio in November 2028, which splits their loyalties away from just Netflix. According to THR, this was a contributing factor in the decision.

Starring Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Jena Malone, and Geena Davis, the star-studded series was a hit with critics and viewers alike. The show is currently sitting at a near-perfect 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers calling it Stranger Things for adults. Viewers were positive too, with an audience score of 78%.

Season one also ended on a pretty huge twist, which will be disappointing for fans hoping to find out what happens next. The show was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, but neither of them has commented on its cancellation yet.

For what you can still stream on Netflix, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies available now.

As the future of Doctor Who remains uncertain and we prepare to wait for what could be years for a new Doctor to be announced, past star Peter Capaldi has said he thinks there have been too many regenerations, and it's taking the magic out of the show.

"To be perfectly honest, I think it's there are too many regenerations," said Capaldi on the 100 Questions with Tom Simons podcast. "I love all the doctors, but I've lost count of how many of them there are. So the weight of this kind of regeneration is diminished."

The star added, "When I grew up, the first time it happened, it was mysterious and strange. But [the regeneration] holds the mystery of the show." Capaldi feels as though the audience knowing that the central character will die is what attracts viewers. "It's a very, very powerful death motif, and that's what lies in the magic of the show."

When we look at how quickly the series passes from Doctor to Doctor, actors only spend about 3 years in the role. The longest serving Doctor was the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, from 1974 to 1981. Capaldi played the Twelfth Doctor from 2014 to 2017, taking over the role from Matt Smith.

"The doctors had been good-looking lads. They've been sort of boyband doctors. And suddenly this haggard face was there and that was the whole scene," recalls Capaldi. The star added that after filming the regeneration scene, "Matt, who was very emotional, came backstage and gave me a big hug and took the watch off and gave it to me, said 'That's for you. This is yours now. You're the doctor."

After Capaldi came the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, from 2018 to 2022 before David Tennant returned for a short stint and regenerated into The Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. However, after just two seasons, Gatwa exited the show. Just this month, to the shock of the whole Whoniverse, showrunner Russell T. Davies also left the series, and the BBC cancelled the 2026 Christmas special in the process.

As of now, the future of the sci-fi series is hanging in the balance. Industry insiders have predicted that Doctor Who could be off air for 5 years. But the important thing to remember is that the show itself hasn't been canceled.

For more, read our feature on why Doctor Who's Christmas cancellation is a good thing, and keep up with new TV shows heading your way in 2026 and beyond.

It looks like Abby has yet another enemy to face in The Last of Us season 3, as the HBO show has added another significant Seraphite.

Peter Sarsgaard, who played ill-fated DA Gil Colson in The Batman, among many other roles, has been cast as a Seraphite leader named Amon, as reported by Deadline. We don't know much about Amon, as the character is new to the show, and doesn't appear in the Naughty Dog game, which the show closely adapts. However, if he is anything like the Seraphites in The Last of Us season 2, both Abby and Lev better watch their backs.

The Seraphites are a religious cult that believes the apocalypse and the Cordyceps brain infection came as a punishment from God for human sin. In The Last of Us Part II, the group is colloquially known as the Scars, due to their 'Glasgow Smiles.' Abby and Ellie frequently encounter members of the group when travelling around Seattle.

In the show, the cult is split into different groups led by prophets that all spread the same message. When we first meet the Seraphites, they seem peaceful, and it is unclear why the Wolves target them. However, as the second season goes on, the group becomes more violent. In one scene, a young Seraphite spots Ellie, and the group prepares to sacrifice her, but she escapes.

It is not clear how big of a role Sarsgaard will play, as season 3 has been filming since March. However, production has been paused for about a month. This may be due to the FIFA World Cup, as Vancouver, where much of The Last of Us is filmed, is due to host one of the tournaments. This shouldn't disrupt filming too much, though, as Deadline reports that production is expected to go on until the end of 2026.

Season 2 of The Last of Us followed the battle with the WLF from Ellie's side, but right at the end, as teased in the finale, there is a reset, with season 3 expected to go over the same events from Abby's perspective. This mimics the structure of the second game, which tells overlapping stories from opposing sides.

The Last of Us season 3 is expected to premiere on HBO in 2027. For more, check out our guide to the best shows on HBO Max, and keep up with new TV shows on the way.

Following the news that the Doctor Who Christmas special has been cancelled and showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Robot have departed the series, it seems like a rocky road is ahead for the sci-fi show.

The BBC has announced it has been put out to tender, allowing other production companies to bid for work on the long-running series. Now, according to a new report from Deadline, this may mean the show is off air for several years.

Citing industry insiders, it seems like the earliest it could be back on screens is 2028. This is an early estimate too, with another insider predicting it will be off air for five years or more.

There could be more problems on the horizon, as Deadline suggested that several respected UK production companies have already shared their reservations about the potential of bidding for the Doctor Who rights.

One producer was quoted as saying that "you would have to be mad" to take on Doctor Who, as another said it's a "bit of a nightmare for any producer in this market with the shadow of the Disney fallout."

However, it's not all doom and gloom, as another person named as "close to Doctor Who" compared the show to other huge franchises. They told Deadline: "If you look at the longevity of Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek, these are valuable commodities over generations. The BBC is lucky to have one of these, and this should be no more than a bump in the road if they approach it properly."

Davies was optimistic about the show's future in his Instagram post announcing his departure. "Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new," he wrote on social media.

The sky, or the galaxy we should say, is the limit. For more on what's heading to our screens in 2026 and beyond, check out our guide to all of the new TV shows in the making.

Hopper actor David Harbour says that we could one day see him reunite on screen with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown, as the pair are currently working on "several" projects together.

Harbour and Brown, of course, played Chief of Police Jim Hopper and his surrogate, superpowered daughter Eleven, respectively, across all five seasons of Stranger Things, over the last decade. And speaking to Variety, Harbour claims that he and Brown haven't had enough of each other yet.

"Straight up, Millie and I are working on several…" Harbour said, cutting himself off before revealing too much. "You’ll see more of me and Millie – 10 years wasn’t enough. There is a special bond there."

What any those projects might be is a mystery for the time being, but it's a safe bet that they're not Stranger Things-related, as creators the Duffer Brothers followed up the divisive Stranger Things season 5 ending by joking that they won't reveal the truth about Eleven's fate for 20 years.

Even without a potential Hopper/Eleven reunion, Harbour has been keeping busy since Stranger Things came to an end. Later this year, he'll return as Red Guardian in Avengers: Doomsday, and is set to appear in the Noah Centineo-starring Rambo reboot. He'll also reprise his kick-ass Santa in Violent Night 2, and return as Frankenstein in Creature Commandos season 2. As for Brown, Enola Holmes 3 is right around the corner, and will see Sherlock's sister on the search for her kidnapped brother, once again played by Henry Cavill.

Also speaking to Variety, Brown touched on her long creative partnership with Harbour. "Obviously I changed so much from Season 1 to Season 5, and David was there through all of it," Brown said. "Over time, our relationship became much more collaborative creatively. When you work with someone for that many years, we could really push each other emotionally in scenes. Even though the series has ended, there’s still a lot of gratitude."

As for Stranger Things, the mothership show may have ended, but animated show Stranger Things: Tales from '85 has been renewed for season 2, and will continue to fill in the gaps between seasons 2 and 3.

Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix. Fill out your streaming watchlist with our picks of the best Netflix shows.

Doctor Who is in its worst shape for decades. Low ratings, Ncuti Gatwa leaving the TARDIS behind after just two (shorter) seasons, and a baffling Billie Piper-shaped cliffhanger has left the sci-fi classic in desperate need of a doctor and a Doctor.

Far from pulling the plug entirely, the BBC has given fans some tough medicine to swallow: the previously announced 2026 Christmas special has been canceled, with showrunner Russell T Davies and long-time production company Bad Wolf departing for good.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory," the BBC said in a statement.

It may seem all doom and gloom, but a long break is best for everyone. After all, the show has been on a downwards trajectory for some time, with past Doctors Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa being saddled with poor writing that did a disservice to their enormous – and history-making – talents.

Reinvention, not regeneration

That brings us to the decision itself to rob the Christmas schedules of Doctor Who for only the third time in 20 years.

Is it bad news? On the face of it, yes – shocking, even. Not only is it a festive fixture, but some of Doctor Who's most experimental, joyous chapters have sprung forth from the holiday window. But any Christmas epilogue or bridging of the gap between one era and the next would inevitably feel like a halfway house, one that wouldn't placate long-term fans, nor entice the next generation that's needed for the show to survive in the streaming era.

Fresh talent, fresh voices, and fresh perspectives are needed – not nostalgia and a desperate move towards the good old days. That can only be achieved, unfortunately, with the passing of time instead of a business-as-usual reboot in a year or two. We'll soon be entering the era of creatives and writers heading into the industry after being weaned on a diet of the Tenth Doctor. That's exciting in and of itself, and the jolt in the arm the series desperately needs after years of sleepwalking through stories.

As for the Billie Piper cliffhanger – that can now safely be ignored. It's probably for the best, isn't it? Even at the time, it was a nonsensical story beat that provoked more questions than answers in the worst possible way. Let's move on and have a clean break; the next Doctor can sidestep all that in favor of going full speed ahead in the TARDIS. Leave the answers up to comics, novels, or Big Finish. It's not something we need to concern ourselves with anymore.

This may be a sad time, but there are reasons to be hopeful. Doctor Who is nothing if not resilient. A decades-long gap preceded the show's successful 2005 reboot, with Russell T. Davies's first trip through space and time launching a golden era that turned into one of the century's best sci-fi adventures, complete with star (and starmaking) turns from the likes of David Tennant and Matt Smith.

If we could travel back in time, we would surely have done it all differently. No Disney deal, perhaps no Russell T. Davies second coming, either. But now is the perfect time to get it right. The Doctor passes from one era to the next with regeneration. There's already a baked-in narrative excuse to move on from this mess. Now, what it sorely needs is reinvention – and not to deck the halls for a few more years at least.

For more, check out our guide to new TV shows and then work your way through the best sci-fi movies ever made.

Russell T Davies has exited Doctor Who as showrunner, as the BBC confirms that the Christmas special of the beloved sci-fi drama has been canceled. The broadcaster confirmed the news while announcing they are looking for a new production company to work on the show.

In an official statement, the BBC confirmed this means that Davies and Bad Wolf are not working on this year's Christmas special. They said: "This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory."

Davies has also shared a statement on Instagram following the news. He wrote: "And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender."

He also confirmed that no scripts had been written for a Christmas special as the future of the show was uncertain. He added: "For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor. You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You’ll wait a lonnng time."

It all sounds like Doctor Who will be rebooting in the near future as the series regenerates once again. For more, check out all the new TV shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

Over the past decade, Star Wars has focused heavily on the period of time between the prequels and original trilogy, so much so that fans are wondering if it is time to move on from releasing projects set in this era.

When the Star Wars prequels were released, there was no doubt that fans had a lot of questions about what had happened in the 19 years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. But thanks to the ever-growing franchise, many projects have filled in the blanks and introduced lots of new characters. But when is enough enough?

"Considering the sheer amount of media we've gotten that takes place between III-IV, is there STILL some plot holes that need to be addressed? Or is it finally time to move on?" asked one fan on Reddit. Many others agree, as one pointed out, "Personally, I’m over the timeline between Ep1-6... give us the Luke Han Leia story post-6. Take some heavy swings at the lore. Dig deep and do some mythological heavy lifting."

Many fans are seeing the funny side of Lucasfilm and Disney's overexploration of The Dark Times. "There's still a dude in the back of the Mos Eisley's cantina in ANH we don't have a full 3-season show about," joked one fan, and another added, "You joke, but the Tales From Mos Eisley Cantina literally gave us the backstory of Han Solo's vest."

There are now 10, yes ten, projects set between the prequels and the original trilogy, and that's not counting Tales of the Jedi, which has episodes set slightly before. On the Star Wars timeline, Tales of the Empire, Tales of the Underworld, The Bad Batch, Maul – Shadow Lord, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Star Wars Rebels, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story all take place during that 19-year gap.

It doesn't look like Lucasfilm is quite finished with the period known as the Reign of the Empire, as Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 is already in production, and a third Star Wars Jedi games is expected to continue the story of Cal Kestis in this period. However, the franchise is exploring pastures new in Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter, which will take place approximately five years after The Rise of Skywalker. Starfighter hits cinemas on May 28, 2027.

For even more, check out our guide on how to watch Star Wars movies in order, and keep up with upcoming Star Wars movies and shows heading your way.

Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher has revealed Ella Purnell's first Fallout experience before leading the Prime Video adaptation didn't exactly go as planned.

"I tried to create Ella on Fallout," Yellowjackets co-star Sophie Thatcher recalled on Happy Sad Confused. "That was her first introduction [to Fallout]. She was like, 'Turn it off! It's scary graphics.' That's fair… Specifically, Fallout: New Vegas has that [look] where it's uncanny."

Unfortunately for Thatcher, most of the gaming bonding time with her fellow actors similarly went down like a lead balloon.

"I had a night where I brought the Yellowjackets girls over and I was like, 'I'm going to create every one of you on The Sims'. It took hours and people got so bored," Thatcher joked.

Thatcher – a dyed-in-the-wool gaming fanatic with four generations of PlayStation consoles, three Oculus headsets, and a "broken" Xbox – showcased her gaming credentials earlier in the interview by revealing her reaction to meeting legendary video game developer Hideo Kojima.

"I had a talk with Hideo Kojima and doing a talk with him was just like, 'You're a god to us.' Anything I say, I'm scared," Thatcher, who has also appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, Companion, and Heretic, revealed.

Previously, Purnell revealed to PC Gamer that she had dabbled in Fallout 4 prior to the first season, describing it as a "fun and exciting experience."

Fallout season 3 has been announced, with the upcoming batch of episodes seemingly heading to the fresh locale of Colorado. The Fallout season 2 ending also set up war coming to the streets of New Vegas.

For more, check out the new TV shows coming your way very soon, plus our picks for the best Fallout games.

Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett was met with a mixed reaction when it hit Disney Plus back in 2021. Critics were more up on the show than audiences, based on its divisive Rotten Tomatoes score, and there was a general consensus that the best episodes were when the series diverted course to tell The Mandalorian's story.

However, despite not winning over viewers, it seems that Lucasfilm may have considered a second season of the show at some point. Speaking at Fan Expo Philadelphia, Jonny Coyne, who played Lord Janu Coin in The Mandalorian and Grogu and briefly in The Mandalorian season 3, shared the insight.

"They said they were going to put me into [The Mandalorian] season 4, and maybe a possible Boba Fett episode as well, and then it all went away," he told audiences. "It all went away, and then the movie happened."

Per Screen Rant, it seems that Coyne was referring to conversations that happened after he appeared in The Mandalorian season 3, meaning that he can't have been referring to The Book of Boba Fett season 1. If this is true, then it does suggest that Lucasfilm was actively considering a second outing of the Temuera Morrison-led spin-off.

It seems quite unlikely that would happen now, but you never know what the higher-ups at Lucasfilm are considering next for the galaxy far, far away. What has been confirmed is Ahsoka season 2, which will be arriving in 2027. You can also check out all of the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows that have been confirmed.

Andor might be a direct prequel to Rogue One, but it does have one key difference with the movie – its tone.

While Andor is a gritty political thriller, Rogue One still has more of an edge to it, but is less intense than the show.

"I watched Rogue One right after the finale of Andor and they really are played completely differently," says one person on Reddit. "The characters are paper thin in the movie compared to the depth they all get in the show, the pacing is far quicker and there's never a moment to [ruminate] on things. Now some of these are expected because one is a blockbuster movie and the other is a methodical serial television show so the very medium they're both in pretty much means they will feel different."

"When I rewatched Rogue One right after I finished Andor, I was struck by how mystical the former seemed in comparison to the latter," says another fan. The Force does play a part in Andor season 2, but in only a few scenes.

"The tonal changes between R1 and Andor have quite a bit to do with format and genre. One was a single movie, and the other a 24 episode series; one was basically a war movie focused on a specific action and the circumstances that led up to it, and the other was a political/espionage thriller. Also, there were differences in writing and production style that impacted tone for each," argues someone else.

"I find R1 waaaay colder and emotionally distant than Andor," says another person, while another says: "I cared about the characters in Andor and... not in the other"

"Cassian in Andor doesn't perfectly line up with Cassian in Rogue One, but it's close enough," says someone else.

"My biggest gripe with the Andor/Rogue One 'Trilogy' is that Rogue One uses the classic, lighter music and emotional themes. It has those momentary flashes of whimsy that the OT/PT/ST have. Also, while I loved C3PO and R2 on first release, their very brief presence did disrupt the flow a bit on rewatches, and after Andor, I actively dislike them showing up," is another person's take. "I know Andor Cut fixes most continuity errors that were introduced from what I understand, but it's unfortunate that the official release is so tonally different from Andor from purely an entertainment standpoint."

Andor season 2 ends just moments before Rogue One begins, with Cassian Andor setting off on the mission that will eventually lead to him helping steal the Death Star plans on Scarif.

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has a release window of early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters.

You can keep up to date with everything else on the way with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

The Acolyte season 2 would have connected to the sequels through Manny Jacinto's Qimir, showrunner Leslye Headland has said.

The Star Wars show was scrapped in 2024, reportedly for low viewership, though it was actually Disney Plus's second most-watched show of the year. This year, the show had a resurgence and returned to the streamer's top 10, apparently bolstered by Maul – Shadow Lord.

"I'm having a resurgence of The Acolyte in my real life," Headland told Empire magazine. "I speak with people who are really big fans, and were disappointed in the cancelation. I went to a play last night, and somebody was like, 'I just have to tell you that I loved it.'"

Headland also explained that she'd be happy to return to Star Wars. "I would still want to do it! Absolutely," she said. "As more people discover it, I think people may want to see some form of the story come back."

As for what that might look like, Headland revealed more. "We did have a lot of stuff that we wanted to explore – including tying in lore to the sequels," she shared. "Getting into who exactly Manny [Jacinto]'s character is, his connection with [Jedi Master] Vernestra, his connection with [Sith Lord] Plagueis, and then his connection with other sequel-established things."

Jacinto's Stranger, AKA Qimir, did appear to have some kind of relation to Kylo Ren, as hinted at by a musical cue in the show.

A new Star Wars book has also enhanced The Acolyte lore with a reference to Vernestra. "Some even say that it was during this brightest of times that the Sith began to crawl their way back out of the darkness," says Luke Skywalker of the High Republic in the updated version of Marc Sumerak's Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi, subtitled The Chronicles of Luke Skywalker. "There are even whispers that legendary Jedi like Vernestra Rwoh may have been complicit in their return. But we may never know for sure."

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which is arriving in early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters.

You can see everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

Following Ncuti Gatwa's exit after two seasons, it sounds like we will soon learn who the sixteenth Doctor is as Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases the news.

"Will we get an announcement about a new Doctor soon?" asked radio host Gary Davies on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on June 1, 2026, to which Davies replied, "You will get an announcement. There is a press release lumbering through the BBC… So I promise you that in about a week or two weeks, there will be some sort of press release."

However, it sounds like Davies is just as tired as we are waiting for an official announcement to drop, as he described the process "like the Jurassic period" where "57 people have to sign off on every single word." After the showrunner confirmed that news is on the way, he added, "and yet I can hear the gears slowing down even as I say that. You know this place."

Fans are champing at the bit to learn who the new Doctor will be after Doctor Who season 2 (technically season 15) saw Gatwa's Doctor sacrifice himself and regenerate into a former companion played by Billie Piper. This left the series pretty open-ended, with many wondering if Piper would be the new Doctor, after she previously played David Tennant's Sidekick Rose Tyler in the '00s. Piper wouldn't be the first woman to take on the role, though, as Jodie Whittaker starred as the Thirteenth Doctor from 2017 to 2022.

Aside from who will play the new Doctor, Davies has also touched on whether or not there will be a Doctor Who Christmas special this year. Although it was announced in October 2025, it looks like the 2026 Christmas special may not be happening anymore. In an interview with LBC, Davies laid out his plans for the rest of the year, which didn't include a Whoniverse festive addition. "I won’t be back filming anything until next year, really," said the showrunner.

However, the last Doctor Who Christmas special, titled 'Joy to the World', hit screens on Christmas Day 2024 and was filmed over a year before that. This means that if there is a Christmas special on the way this year, it may have already been filmed with the new Doctor. But that would be a whopper of a secret to have kept under wraps.

While we wait for more news on Doctor Who, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

A new report confirms that we aren't losing our minds: the wait between new seasons of our favorite TV shows is getting longer and longer.

According to a press release from Ampere Analysis, the average gap between seasons of scripted original series has almost doubled from 12 months in 2020 to 21 months in 2025. The report cites Stranger Things, Severance, and Wednesday as the biggest examples, noting that the latter two generated "almost twice the average engagement levels" despite lengthy waits between seasons. I would argue that Severance came back bigger and better than ever, despite the three-year wait between seasons 1 and 2, with the second season being lauded with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

The report also interestingly states that sci-fi & fantasy titles, "often involving complex, high-budget productions," tend to perform the strongest despite long waits between seasons. There are other high-production shows that seem to be more concerned with keeping momentum, and have therefore gone into production right after their previous season. There was a three-year wait between seasons 1 and 2 Netflix's hit live-action One Piece series, but season 3 went into production while season 2 was still airing. HBO's newest Game of Thrones spin-off series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also didn't waste any time, entering production on season 2 while season 1 was still airing on the streamer. To give you an idea of just how quick the turnaround time is, season 1 premiered in January 2026 and season 2 is slated for a January 2027 release.

For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2026 and beyond.

Skeleton Crew season 2 might be possible, star Kerry Condon has revealed.

The Star Wars show debuted in December 2024 to a very positive Rotten Tomatoes score of 92%, but, since then, updates on its future have been scarce.

"I mean, I heard maybe possibly, but I don't know," Kerry Condon, who played Fara, mother of youngster Fern, told Screen Rant. "You never know in this business, but I really hope so because I thought the kids were great."

Skeleton Crew followed a bunch of kids who, after accidentally leaving their planet, have to try and find their way back home – only, nobody has heard of their planet, and it also turns out to be the rumored home of legendary treasure.

Jude Law starred as Jod Na Nawood, while Nick Frost voiced droid SM-33. The young cast was made up of Kyriana Kratter as KB, Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern, and Robert Timothy Smith as Neel.

While the show was well received, its debut didn't make it into the Nielsen top 10, with its first two episodes netting only 382 million minutes watched in their first week. That's the lowest of any live-action Star Wars show.

Still, a recent Production Weekly update said Skeleton Crew season 2 is "in development," so more could well be on the way.

Our own Skeleton Crew review awarded the show 4 stars, calling the show "a fun adventure story with lots of promise for Star Wars TV."

We'll just have to wait and see what happens next for Skeleton Crew, but in the meantime, Star Wars has returned to the big screen for the first time in seven years with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is currently playing in theaters.

Up next is Ahsoka season 2, which has an early 2027 release window.

Until then, get up to speed on everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

The first Star Wars movie in seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is now playing in theaters. But before Disney scooped up Lucasfilm for a cool $4.5bn, Star Wars was in a very precarious place, and Ahsoka voice actor Ashley Eckstein credits animated series The Clone Wars with turning that around.

Speaking at MCM Expo, where the cast of The Clone Wars were reunited on stage, Eckstein talked about being a Star Wars pioneer, as the voice of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano on The Clone Wars.

“For us, it’s easy to forget, but when Clone Wars was on the air, there was no other Star Wars. We thought Star Wars was done," Eckestein said. "This was before Disney bought it and we were the only thing on the air… Without the success of Clone Wars we might not be seeing Mandalorian, Boba Fett, etcetera.”

It's a fair point, as much of Star Wars' recent output (Andor aside) has spun out from the world established by The Clone Wars. The Mandalorian season 3, in particular, featured numerous story threads that tied back to The Clone Wars, while Ahsoka, Maul – Shadow Lord, and The Bad Batch all pick up with characters and events depicted in The Clone Wars and Rebels.

Whether this is a good thing for Star Wars is debatable. The Mandalorian season 3 is widely considered the show's weakest season, in part because of its connections to Star Wars' animated output. The influence is plain as day, though: Rebels fan-favorite Zeb Orrelios plays a noteworthy supporting role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, while Ahsoka season 2 will further the story of The Clone Wars and Rebels in live action.

Originally, The Mandalorian season 4 would have set up the new season of Ahsoka in a major way, but Favreau started from scratch after pivoting to a feature instead of a new season. As it stands, The Mandalorian and Grogu continues the adventures of Din Djarin and his tiny green ward. But despite being a "standalone" story, the new movie does feature "subtle stuff that relates to Ahsoka season 2." We've got a wait to find out what, exactly, as Ahsoka season 2 won't hit Disney Plus until early 2027.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of upcoming Star Wars movies or here's how to watch The Clone Wars in order.

It's only been a few months since the divisive final season of Stranger Things came to an end and the Duffer Brothers already have a new show on Netflix. Produced by the filmmaking duo, The Boroughs follows a retirement community as they deal with an otherworldly threat.

Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the eight-part series is out on the streaming platform now and has been a hit with critics. Early reviews have been very positive, and it's currently sitting at a score of 94% on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 34 reviews.

This is the highest rating for the Duffer Brothers since Stranger Things season 1, which is rated at 97%. It's tied with the second season of the show, which also drew in 94% from its critics.

The Boroughs was given four stars by the Guardian's Lucy Mangan, who wrote, "Like the best hokum, The Boroughs speaks, via monsters and electroplasm, to eternal human fears." Meanwhile, Empire's David Opie gave it three stars, writing: "More than just a spiritual successor to Stranger Things, The Boroughs is an original sci-fi that succeeds on its own terms, even if it does need to iron out a few wrinkles, figuratively speaking."

Variety critic Aramide Tinubu called it a "delightful, intriguing adventure," adding: "Heartbreaking, funny and endlessly fascinating, The Boroughs is a show that examines loss, pain, time and the trials and tribulations of life during the golden years."

TIME Magazine's Judy Berman was also positive, writing that the show "excels at humanizing, through sharp performances by an all-star cast, characters Hollywood too often caricatures as cute or crotchety, when it deigns to pay them any attention."

It certainly has an all-star cast involved too with Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Denis O'Hare and Jena Malone all starring. All episodes are out to stream right now. In fact, it might just fill the Stranger Things-shaped hole in your heart.

For more, check out our round-up of the best shows to stream this weekend as well as our pick of the best Netflix shows currently available.

All the way back in the halcyon days of 2025, there was a show on Netflix called Stranger Things. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, better known as The Duffer Brothers, the show was an enormous hit for the streamer, and ended with a great final episode that everyone loved. Just kidding! Anyway, the point here is that hot on the heels of the finale of the blockbuster series, Netflix has been engaging in a little game every other streamer and network has been playing for the past decade, to try and recreate the sensation with a new series… And that includes the Duffer Brothers, who may just have done the impossible with the new show The Boroughs.

In fact, in the wake of the end of Stranger Things, rather than sitting on their hands, the Duffers have released a non-stop barrage of shows hoping to fill the gap left by saying goodbye to Hawkins, Indiana. In March, they launched Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, a show created by Haley Z. Boston and executive-produced by the Duffers that goes far more surreal than Stranger Things but at least in terms of set dressing and style evokes some of the ‘80s flair, and certainly delves into horror. Call it Stranger Things adjacent, rather than a replacement.

Far more overt was April’s offering, the animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From '85, created by Eric Robles and EP-ed, again, by the Duffers. Set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the main series, Tales From '85 depicts a previously unseen adventure from the kids in the main show, and has already been renewed for a second season. Even with the near-identical DNA, it’s hard to say Tales From '85 is the next Stranger Things, as it's an extension of the brand, rather than something that feels fresh and/or new.

Keeping it old school

Well, now we're in May, and it's time to see if Netflix and the Duffer Brothers will get strike three, or hit it out of the park with The Boroughs. Once again, the Duffers are Executive Producers of the show, not the creators – that would be Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Starring a bevy of name actors, including Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Jena Malone, Clarke Peters, and more, the casting flips the script from, "Hey, that's '80s icon Winona Ryder with a bunch of kids" to "Oops! All icons!"

In the series, Molina stars as Sam, a new widower who moves to the expansive retirement community of the title. It's already weird as Sam's daughter, Claire (Jena Malone), drives the former engineer to a remote spot in the middle of the desert against his will, though he quickly warms to his quirky neighbors; from the overly friendly Jack (Pullman) to the energetic art teacher Renee (Davis) and former investigative journalist Judy (Woodard). Oh, and also, there's a horrific monster that's stalking the grounds, killing the residents.

It's hard not to explicitly think of Stranger Things while watching The Boroughs, from an opening shot of someone riding a bicycle to a final scene that evokes one of the more memorable moments in the original season of the series. In between, the monster itself, while not an exact copy of the Demogorgon, has stretched limbs and a disturbing mouth that indicates if they don’t have the exact same genesis, they at least might be in the same phylum.

Stranger danger

Far more evocative of Stranger Things, though, is the scrappy, breezy nature of the dialogue and how Addiss and Matthews approach the series. Unlike the purposefully off-putting intensity of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, The Boroughs has its older actors talk like the gang from Hawkins, and often act more like kids than older adults pushing 80. They run around the community getting into trouble, come up with goofy inventions, and Sam is outfitted like a large child rather than a man getting on in years. That's also very much the point of the show: even when you're older, you still have plenty of life left, and don’t just need to be shoved out of the way. But seeing everyone jam into a van that might as well be driven by Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) makes it hard not to label this show Older Things and call it a day.

The bigger question is whether the formula to get the next Stranger Things is to do Stranger Things But Old. And the answer to that question will very much be determined over the next few weeks after the show debuts. Will it capture the national imagination with its bubbling mysteries and clear nod to a bigger mythology? Or will it merely pop to the top of the Netflix charts for a week before fading away into the algorithm like so many other series before it? Netflix, it should be noted, doesn't have the best track record with quirky sci-fi ideas (see The Society, Archive 81, 1899… The list goes on and on), though perhaps the Duffers are the secret sauce that will make it work.

Ultimately, though, if The Boroughs does become a hit and continue, it can't coast on the Stranger Things association forever, and neither can The Duffers. Sure, they've got an in-development live-action spin-off, as well as the second season of Tales From '85. But extracting some of the DNA from the series and handing it to other creators (including themselves) will only go so far. Because the real trick to creating the next Stranger Things isn't to remake the show with old folks… It's to craft something that feels as fresh and new and exciting as ST did way back in 2016, when it debuted. You know: by remixing ideas from the '80s.

The Boroughs is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our list of the new TV shows still to come this year, or fill out your watchlist with the Best shows on Netflix.

Looking for what to remember before The Mandalorian and Grogu? Then this is the Way. The first season of The Mandalorian dropped way back in 2019, so your memory of Din Djarin and Din Grogu's adventures might be a little fuzzy.

Below, we've rounded up everything you need to remember before The Mandalorian and Grogu in a Mandalorian recap, so you can get up to speed at a glance. There are six crucial Star Wars plot points that are essential to remember, and we've got them all detailed here.

So, for all you need to know, head on down to our recap. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

The Mandalorian recap

Mando originally finds Grogu as a bounty target

Din Djarin meets baby Grogu in quite an unconventional way: a mysterious Imperial by the name of the Client tasks Mando with tracking down a 50-year old bounty. When Mando arrives, the bounty is actually a tiny, green baby.

From the outset, Mando protects him, shooting the bounty hunting droid IG-11 to prevent him from hurting the baby. While Mando does initially hand over Grogu to the Empire, he soon has a change of heart and goes back to rescue him. The fearsome Imperial Moff Gideon, however, continues to attempt to track them down.

Grogu trains with Luke Skywalker

Mando and Grogu have plenty of adventures together and start to develop a father and son bond, but Din Djarin is on a quest to return the baby to his own kind: the Jedi. Ahsoka Tano refuses to train the youngling because of Grogu's strong attachment to Mando, but, after Din Djarin takes his charge to the planet Tython, Grogu calls out to a Jedi. But, the baby is kidnapped by Dark Troopers and the Razor Crest is destroyed in the process.

Later, when Mando and his pals go to save Grogu from Moff Gideon, none other than Luke Skywalker shows up to save the baby and take him away to be trained. Mando and Grogu share an emotional goodbye, and Grogu leaves with Luke.

Mando and Grogu reunite in The Book of Boba Fett

This part of the story is easily missed if you didn't realise The Book of Boba Fett was essential viewing. In the show, Din Djarin returns and goes to visit Grogu at Jedi school. Only, Luke and Ahsoka are reluctant to let Mando see the youngling, because of that pesky attachment rule. So, Mando leaves without seeing his former ward, but not before leaving behind a gift of Beskar chainmail.

Luke, sensing Grogu's heart might not be fully in his Padawan training, gives Grogu a choice between Yoda's lightsaber or the chainmail from Mando. Grogu makes his choice off-screen, but we learn the outcome when he returns to Tatooine in Luke's X-wing, rocking the Beskar vest. Peli Motto then takes Grogu back to Mando, and they reunite mid-battle as Din Djarin helps his old friend Boba Fett with his crime syndicate problems.

Mando will no longer remove his helmet

While Din Djarin had his helmet removed in season 1 by IG-11 in order to heal him, then took it off twice in season 2 for Grogu's sake, in season 3, he is dedicated to cleansing himself and keeping the helmet on. His Creed as a Child of the Watch means he is forbidden from letting others see his face. In season 3, he cleanses himself in the Living Waters of Mandalore, and so he earns forgiveness from removing his helmet.

"It's an interesting proposition," director Jon Favreau told us of whether Din Djarin's understanding of his Creed has changed. "Throughout the series, we had met different Mandalorians from different backgrounds, and each embraces a different part of the Mandalorian creed. Din Djarin comes from a tradition where the helmet stays on. Of course, Bo-Katan and others take the helmet off. And what's interesting now is we have a character that's going to be potentially both Jedi and Mandalorian in Grogu, and we'll see what his path is."

Imperial Remnants are a threat

While the Empire was destroyed in Return of the Jedi, Imperial Remnants – survivors of the old regime – still lurk in the galaxy. In The Mandalorian season 3, we see a gathering of them in the Shadow Council, plotting to restore the Empire (and hoping for Grand Admiral Thrawn's return). Moff Gideon is one such Remnant, though, at the end of season 3, he is killed in a fiery blaze.

In The Mandalorian and Grogu, the duo are tasked with tracking down an ex-Imperial warlord by the name of Commander Coin.

Mando adopts Grogu

At the end of The Mandalorian season 3, Din Djarin formally adopts Grogu, who becomes Din Grogu. That also means Grogu is now Mando's apprentice, and Mando is teaching him the Way of a Mandalorian.

"Grogu is now a Mandalorian apprentice," Favreau told us. "He's been tasked with that, for those people who had watched the show. If you hadn't watched the show, what you need to know is that he is now going to be a Mandalorian in training, and so his father and teacher is taking him along on the adventures. What we learn through this is that Grogu's quite capable, but also Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, is a very good protector, and so he's always going to look out. And I think it's the next stage of their relationship, both as a father and son, but also as a teacher and an apprentice."

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives this May 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to watching all the Star Wars movies in order, or read our The Mandalorian and Grogu review.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island is here, as promised, and the Stars Wars collaboration with Fortnite has shifted into an entirely new gear. I'd previously argued that I didn't think anyone was prepared for the amount of Star Wars that was about to hit Fortnite – and that very much applies here as the new island is more than just a bunch of set dressing around the edges of a screening experience.

But that screening experience is absolutely the initial draw, and everyone knows it. The Fortnite island has a message from Jon Favreau on top of a 10-minute sneak peek of the upcoming Star Wars film several days before it's actually in theaters on May 22. If you're the kind of Star Wars fan that just has to see the movie as early as possible and you're not a reviewer or critic, this is your shot. Additionally, Favreau will also have a Q&A airing in the Fortnite island's amphitheater on May 26.

When I say it's "more than just a bunch of set dressing," I'm speaking from experience. Ahead of the new Star Wars Fortnite island's launch, I was able to play around in and explore the world of Nevarro created by Fairview Portals and Beyond Creative. Collecting bounties, fighting off enemies at a moment's notice, playing the role of pit fighter, and even hopping on a speeder briefly at one point. And, of course, helping Grogu.

After spending some time on Nevarro, I was able to speak with some of the developers at Fairview Portals to better understand the work that went into the experience – and working with Epic, UEFN, Favreau, and more.

The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

GamesRadar+: How do you balance bringing people who maybe are not familiar with the show or the upcoming movie, while also people who are very intimately familiar?

Jeff Brown (games director at Fairview Portals): Huge consideration from us and the whole team, including Jon. First of all, we identified that the Watch Party was a great opportunity for us, and having that around the time of the film launch, but also we wanted to make sure that that was expanded. Epic's done other watch party islands, but they're just not as expansive; there's not as much going on. So we saw the opportunity to kind of really dig in. And Jon proposed Nevarro for many reasons, of course, in terms of us being able to build something that's that's authentic, but also it was important to have one of everything, something for everyone. So we can go on quests, you can just get right into the action, you can go watch the previews for the film. It was always important for us to be able to include lots of variety to help folks that aren't as tuned into Fortnite.

GR+: As you're building this, is there anything like, 'Oh, we've got to have this. This is a part of this that has to be present'?

Matt Burdette (lead artist at Fairview Portals): I mean, we're building this under Jon's roof. So we have complete unfettered access to everything we could have needed to do this, like build a pinpoint-accurate Nevarro – we had blueprints, we had set photos, we had concept art. Pretty much anything at all we needed, we had available to us, which basically left no excuse to not build a one-to-one of some of these environments. And we also were pretty clear up front to say, 'If it exists in the show, if there's a canonical version of this that's in the show, we're gonna do it.' And we pretty much did, so.

GR+: …How big is it? I played what I thought was a good chunk of it, but I could tell there was definitely even more than that. Like, there's a lot there on the island.

JB: It's a good, complete representation of the city of Nevarro, with some changes for gameplay. But it's about everything that you would expect to be in the city. And then we knew that we had to have the shipyard, and, of course, the homestead, so it just kind of expanded from there. It's a celebration of the show, so it was important to include the things that everyone knew of it.

GR+: When you were initially visualizing what this would be, was it always sort of this, or was there an earlier version of this that you iterated from?

JB: It definitely evolved a little bit over time. Nevarro was always the thing that we wanted to do; it just had to be scaled appropriately. So I think when we first went in, there were a lot of ideas for stuff that we could do, and that ultimately had to be pared down to something that fit within the timeframe. And that was a process, working with Epic, working with Andre [Balta, senior director at Epic Games] just to find the essence of what we should do.

There was so much that we could have done, but I feel like we've kind of clawed back a lot of things that were in the original spec. So there's a lot of things that – and little details, little Easter eggs – are in there too, that we managed to put in.

GR+: What's the most difficult thing about building a Fortnite creation like this?

JB: That first part's really easy for us. Matt and I have been working together for a long time in full-fat Unreal Engine, and this is our first project in UEFN, which there's a learning curve, as anyone that's worked in this flavor of Unreal would tell you. I think that we've dealt with everything in a good way.

There's a limiting factor there, but it's also sort of a creative box that you learn to stay within, and you end up having to come up with a lot of creative solutions, which we have, and honestly, teaming up with, Beyond Creative, they've been great, and we've learned a lot about how to how to develop for the engine.

GR+: And how does adding Star Wars to the mix complicate all that, if at all?

MB: Well, I mean, you just have to make sure that you're, again, sticking to the authenticism of it. You can't phone it in like. You really have to stick to what makes Star Wars Star Wars. You have to pay attention to the details. You kind of just have to treat it as gospel. That requires a pretty enormous amount of vigilance, but it's like the proof is in the pudding as you do that, you really can feel it come out as you continue to build it.

JB: Yeah, there's spaces that don't exist in Nevarro either. So that was kind of a big challenge. But luckily, we had Doug Chiang [SVP and executive design director at Lucasfilm] as a resource, who was incredible, and he would come in and give us a lot of advice for the areas that Matt was building that are specific to the island that you wouldn't see in the show or the film.

MB: Doug Chiang had some fantastic feedback for us. Every time we met with him, the needle moved forward significantly. So it was great having him with us.

The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island is now available in Fortnite. If you're interested in more about the movie, you can check out all of our previous coverage of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

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I'm sorry to say that the epidemic 'Baby Yoda' fever is back now that the movie is Force-jumping onto theater screens, and there's a lot of Mandalorian and Grogu merch floating around as a result. However, not all of it is created equal.

To help you sort the beskar from rubbish, I'm doing my best bounty hunter impression and bringing in the best Mandalorian and Grogu merch. I've trawled through almost all the collectibles out there, so am bringing you recommendations based on a mix of personal experience, user reviews, best-sellers, and the coolest-looking gear. As an example, I'd always suggest looking at Black Series action figures; they're always phenomenally detailed and surprisingly affordable, which puts them high on our list of the best toys. Similarly, Loungefly bags are never less than... so they've earned a place here too.

You'll find goodies across a range of prices, too. No matter your budget, you should be able to find something to delight you on this list of the best Mandalorian and Grogu merch. This is the way.

For more from a galaxy far, far away, don't miss the best Star Wars toys or the best Lego sets.

The Duffer brothers have debunked a rumor about the Stranger Things series finale that suggests Mike's theory about Eleven being alive might be real after all.

Right before the bridge collapses and we jump forward 18 months, there's weird audio that sounds like a heartbeat. Fans took this to mean that it must be a subtle indicator that Eleven actually lives, but apparently it's actually just distorted audio of bricks being laid.

"It's written in the script that it is supposed to sound like a heartbeat, but it's actually just like, what do you call it? The brick," Matt Duffer explained during a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused Podcast. "It's just distorted, but yeah, you could interpret it as that. I mean, it was meant to be interpreted as that potentially." You can check it out below at around the 37-minute mark.

When asked if they'll follow in David Chase's cryptic finale footsteps and reveal what really happened to Eleven in 20 or so years after the finale, the Duffers jokingly agreed.

"I hope people still care," Matt Duffer added. "That would be great. And then I'll say everything. Yeah. Okay. At that point. Okay. 20 years from now. 20 years from now. That's right."

Part of why some fans were so upset with the series finale was the unwillingness to take a risk and kill off a major character. Even though it certainly seems that Eleven dies, it's still just... implied. It's Mike's hopeful theory that Eleven found a peaceful life elsewhere that leads even the viewer to think she may not be dead... which is why fans were thinking there must have been a surprise final episode a la Conformity Gate that tells us what really happened to her. I guess we'll find out in 20 years.

Stranger Things is streaming now in its entirety. Tales from '85 season 1 is also streaming now on Netflix, and has been greenlit for a second season. For more, check out our Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review or our breakdown for the Stranger Things season 5 finale explained.

The Duffer brothers say the most polarizing episode of Stranger Things (besides the finale), was never meant to be a sneaky pilot for a spin-off starring Kali and her super-powered punk friends.

"It was never designed as like a spin-off shoot. That's not true. Um that's gross. We would not do that," Matt Duffer said during a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, when asked about season 2's infamous bottle episode.

"I think the mistake was this idea of a bottle episode," Ross explained. "Like, I think if we had threaded more organically throughout the season, it would have worked. So it wasn't anybody's fault except ours. I think I just would have approached how we integrated Kali differently. Matt and I got so drawn into getting those last two episodes of season 2 written and prepping them, too, because we were directing them. So that it just got lost in the shuffle... Season 2, we were racing, you know, it's the only season that came out in like an appropriate amount of time." You can check it out below at around minute 49.

Stranger Things season 2 episode 7, titled 'The Lost Sister,' focused solely on Eleven (featuring no other characters from the regular cast) as she met her 'sister' Kali (played by Linnea Berthelsen), one of the many children who were experimented on at Hawkins Lab. Kali and her spiked leather-jacket-wearing, mohawked pals led a life off the grid, with Kali using her powers to evade police and commit relatively harmless crimes. The episode was poorly received at the time, mainly for feeling like such an abrupt, jarring episode that was disconnected from a pretty well-paced and high-stakes season.

When Kali returns in Stranger Things season 5, we learn that she was kidnapped by the government and that the feds killed all of her punk friends. Though she returned once again as a divisive character, she ultimately saves the world by helping Eleven plan her fatal sacrifice in the series finale. Around the time season 2 aired, the Duffers told Vulture that they just kind of thought it'd be fun for Eleven to have her own mini-movie. However, some fans (me), knew they'd have to bring back Kali one way or another as Eleven and the gang needed all the help they could get to bring down Vecna.

Stranger Things is streaming now in its entirety. Tales from '85 season 1 is also streaming now on Netflix, and has been greenlit for a second season. For more, check out our Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review or our breakdown of the Stranger Things season 5 finale explained.

Ncuti Gatwa poked fun at his brief tenure as the Fifteenth Doctor on Doctor Who while hosting Saturday Night Live UK.

"I've had so many fantastic roles in my career. Millions of you watched me as Eric in Sex Education, and then about 12 of you watched me in Doctor Who. Maybe that's why I kept crying," Gatwa said during his opening monologue. "Joking aside, it was genuinely a magical role. In fact, it was the first time my parents were truly proud of my career."

Contnued Gatwa: "When I told them I got the part, they said, 'Finally, a doctor in the family.' Even though I have since regenerated into Billie Piper… I don’t understand it either… I still love Doctor Who, and I got to meet so many crazy characters, sort of a bit like this place." You can watch the full clip below.

The 13th season of Doctor Who took a pretty strange turn, with the BBC partnering with Disney Plus for a massive-budget, internationally-reaching rollout... which resulted in record-low viewership (though referring to seasons 14 and 15 as 'season 1' and 'season 2' probably didn't help much). Next, the Doctor's companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) was unceremoniously replaced in season 2/season 15.

Then, in the final moments of the season 2 finale, The Doctor regenerates into Piper, who you might remember as fan-favorite companion Rose Tyler during the Christopher Ecclestone/David Tennant era of the show back in the mid-2000s (and if you didn't watch the show, you definitely saw those gifs of Rose crying on the other side of a wall on Tumblr). The usual "introducing" on-screen text, however, did not include "as the Doctor." We know that the ending was reshot, with Piper's strange scene added later, though we don't exactly know why Ncuti left the show and ended his tenure as the Fifteenth Doctor so soon.

It was announced last week that AMC Plus had won the streaming rights for Doctor Who, with 175 episodes set to begin streaming on June 11. A Christmas special is set to air at the end of this year, though details and Doctors remain to be seen.

While you wait for the Doctor Who Christmas special, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni has revealed he originally contemplated making the Disney Plus show Ahsoka as a movie.

"We'll see, I mean obviously we needed both," Filoni said at The Mandalorian and Grogu premiere, when asked by News18 Showsha whether the focus moving forwards was movies or shows, before going on to talk about the saga's cinematic legacy and upcoming 50th anniversary.

"I love what I've been able to do," he added. "I couldn't figure out how to make Ahsoka into a film, way back when, even before I started working with Jon [Favreau]. So after working with Jon, I'm like, 'Oh, I get it, it's a series.' And so some stories work better for that, and some stories are movies, and I think we need it all. I think it's all part of what drives the big eco-system that is Star Wars."

Ahsoka Tano was introduced as the young Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in the 2008 Clone Wars movie, which was directed by Filoni. She went on to appear in the Clone Wars TV show and Star Wars Rebels, before making the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian season 2, played by Rosario Dawson. She appeared again in The Book of Boba Fett, before leading her own show, aptly titled Ahsoka.

Ahsoka season 2 isn't coming until 2027, but we still know enough to start getting excited. At Star Wars Celebration 2025, it was revealed that the show will feature battles across two galaxies, Admiral Ackbar facing off against Grand Admiral Thrawn, and the return of Hayden Christensen. Rory McCann will take over the role of Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson.

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives this May 22. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

The Boroughs creators Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews aren't opposed to having their own Kate Bush moment, as music plays a pretty central part in the sci-fi series.

"If there’s a great song called 'Golden Years,' let’s just do it," Addiss says in the latest issue of SFX, in reference to both the David Bowie song and the show's main cast quite literally being in their golden years. "Bruce Springsteen’s 'Thunder Road' was something really important to us, because it just felt like the right song for this show."

We don't know what year the show takes place, though Addiss and Matthews say it's meant to feel like a '90s/early 2000s blockbuster. It's also inspired by the movie Cocoon, the 1985 sci-fi pic from director Ron Howard that sees a group of seniors uncover an alien presence swimming in the pools of their retirement community. Basically, we can expect loads and loads of nostalgia.

Per the official tagline for The Boroughs: "In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have… time." The iconic cast includes Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, Alfred Molina, Bill Pullman, Ed Begley Jr., Jane Kaczmarek, Alice Kremelberg, and Dee Wallace.

"When you’ve got the people who made a lot of the magic happen on Stranger Things, the publishers want their next 'Running Up That Hill,'" added Matthews.

You might recall that Stranger Things season 4 reintroduced Kate Bush's 1985 hit Running Up That Hill, thanks to Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) choosing the song as one that gives her personal strength and power following her brother Billy's death (and I know the song itself isn't actually about grief, but it's a pretty common interpretation). The song reentered the Billboard charts and has well over 1 billion streams on Spotify, leading to a huge resurgence in Bush's already legendary career (and her formerly lost hit single 'Experiment IV' finally being added to streaming services, thank you).

The Boroughs is set to hit Netflix on May 21. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to add to your streaming queue right now, or check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows you need to know about.

While Ahsoka season 2 might not be coming until 2027, there's still plenty to get excited about.

The show will pick up the story of Anakin Skywalker's former Padawan in the aftermath of season 1's cliffhanger, which saw Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren stranded on Peridea, while Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger escaped home.

The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has previously revealed he has seen all of Ahsoka season 2, after the original plan for The Mandalorian season 4 was to help set up Dave Filoni's show.

When we met with Favreau in London to talk about The Mandalorian and Grogu, we asked if there was anything he could reveal about what he saw.

"It's a culmination for him [Dave Filoni] of not just what he's done in live television, starting with the episodes that he directed of The Mandalorian, especially introducing Ahsoka in live-action, but this is a character that he created with George, and this has been the centerpiece of his work as a storyteller," Favreau says.

"And as he transitions to running Lucasfilm, I think he's putting a lot of effort into honoring and giving a sense of continuity, and, to some extent, completion to that arc, and he has tremendous care with it," he continues. "And he also understands the high level implications of what's going on throughout the galaxy, and in the World Between Worlds, and with all the characters that have been established in canon within live-action Star Wars, but also extended universe and novels.

"And he pulls the best from everywhere, and he weaves it all together very well, and much like he did that with what happened with the prequels and what happened with Clone Wars and with Rebels, all of it ties together and threads," Favreau adds. "He's giving a lot of thought to how Ahsoka fits into the overall, overarching continuity."

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters this May 22.

While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

A new Star Wars book has revealed some fascinating information about the return of the Sith in the High Republic era.

In the updated edition of Marc Sumerak's Star Wars: The Secrets of the Jedi, which now has the subtitle The Chronicles of Luke Skywalker, it turns out Vernestra Rwoh might have helped the Sith make a comeback.

The book is "written" by Luke Skywalker in 34 ABY (AKA 34 years after he blew up the Death Star on the Star Wars timeline) and features the legendary Jedi's reflections on major events in the galaxy. Writing about the High Republic, as shared by a fan on Twitter, Luke says: "Legends passed down across the years tell how the Jedi of the High Republic faced a number of grave threats, including a carnivorous species of plants known as the Drengir, ruthless marauders called the Nihil, and a mysterious group of nameless beings who were said to have fed on the Force itself.

"Some even say that it was during this brightest of times that the Sith began to crawl their way back out of the darkness. There are even whispers that legendary Jedi like Vernestra Rwoh may have been complicit in their return. But we may never know for sure."

Vernestra was seen in live-action in The Acolyte, and, based on what we saw of her in the canceled show, it certainly makes sense that she might have inadvertently helped the Sith return. After all, the Stranger was her Padawan before he fell to the dark side, and, at the end of the show, she makes the decision to blame the events of the series on Master Sol in a cover up, rather than share the truth.

In a cliffhanger that may never be resolved, Darth Plagueis also had a cameo in the show, apparently training Qimir. Plagueis is eventually Palpatine's Sith Master, and Palpatine, of course, causes the downfall of the Jedi and takes over the galaxy as the Emperor.

This isn't the only thing the new book has revealed, either: it turns out Luke Skywalker knows Cal Kestis survived Order 66.

Next up for Star Wars is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which arrives this May 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

In surprising news, Ahsoka season 2 won't arrive until early 2027.

The Star Wars show was previously expected to release in 2026, which Lucasfilm even seemed to recently confirm.

However, at Disney's Upfront showcase, Ahsoka Tano actor Rosario Dawson took to the stage to reveal that the Disney Plus show has a premiere window of early 2027.

"It's truly special seeing all the love from fans out there for Ahsoka and her crew," she said (via StarWars.com). "I can tell you this season, the battles are bigger and the stakes are higher. We cannot wait for you to see."

Those in attendance were also treated to a sizzle reel featuring space battles, lightsaber fights, and Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker.

Ahsoka's new release window means that 2026 will be the first year since 2019 without a live-action Star Wars show: 2019 had The Mandalorian season 1, 2020 had The Mandalorian season 2, 2021 had The Book of Boba Fett, 2022 had Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor, 2023 had The Mandalorian season 3 and Ahsoka, 2024 had The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew, and 2025 had Andor season 2.

But, this year has already seen the release of the animated Maul – Shadow Lord, while The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars movie in seven years, is hitting the big screen imminently. Next year, meanwhile, will also see the release of Star Wars: Starfighter.

At Star Wars Celebration 2025, Dave Filoni revealed that Ahsoka season 2 would feature a showdown between Admiral Ackbar and Grand Admiral Thrawn, and a behind-closed-doors first look (of sorts) teased battles across different galaxies and giant, evil droids. Plus, Christensen himself revealed he would be returning, while Rory McCann taking over as Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson was also confirmed.

While Ahsoka season 2 doesn't have a firm release date just yet, May 2027 will mark the 50th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie, and Star Wars Celebration returns to LA in April. So, it wouldn't be too surprising if Ahsoka season 2's release date was planned so that episodes are dropping through at least one of these events.

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives this May 22. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, or see our interview with director Jon Favreau on bringing Star Wars back to the big screen and Grogu's Jedi journey.

Yo, Mista White! Aaron Paul is set to star in Fallout season 3.

According to Deadline, Paul has joined the cast in an undisclosed role, which reunites him with Westworld producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. He starred as Caleb Nicholas in seasons 3 and 4 of the hit sci-fi show, which ended in 2022.

Back in 2024, Nolan let slip that Paul, who is a huge fan of the video game franchise, was hoping for a role in Fallout season 2. The rumor was that he would play the leader of Caesar's Legion, a role that ultimately went to Macaulay Culkin. We don't know what role Paul will play next, though we do hope it's an entirely new one made for the upcoming season's surprise location...

Paul joins the newly promoted Annabel O’Hagan (Steph) and Dave Register (Chet), who will now be series regulars. No word yet as to whether Culkin's character will receive a promotion as well (following the, uh, in-show promotion his character receives), or if Kyle MacLachlan will return as a series regular following his character's, uh, demotion.

Aaron Paul posted the announcement to his personal Instagram account, with star Walton Goggins commenting, "That's my guy! I've got some Radaway waiting for you, Cowboy!!!"

Fallout received an early renewal for a third season back in May 2025, ahead of its December release date, with production on Fallout season 3 expected to kick off this month. The series has amassed over 100 million views across both seasons, making it Prime Video's most successful original show.

Fallout season 2 is streaming now on Prime Video. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to everything new on Prime Video in April.

The Mandalorian and Grogu might be right around the corner, but there's another Star Wars release still to come this year: Ahsoka season 2.

The Disney Plus show will pick up after the cliffhanger ending of season 1, which saw Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren stranded on Peridea, while Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger escaped back to the main galaxy.

"Working on it, working on it, it's coming," creator Dave Filoni told Screen Rant. "It's come a long way, obviously. I'm editing it, all the episodes at once, right now, and deep in visual effects with the team but really proud of everyone, the work they've put in. Lots of things to resolve and figure out, but that's normal. And I'm excited for people to see it, you know we didn't really get to go out and premiere in a way last time so I think the team's really excited to be out with the fans with this one and see how it goes."

Filoni added he "might know" when it will release but wouldn't clarify when, then responded to a social media rumor that this would be the last season: "Really? Never know. Everything works as planned and I know where the story goes and where it should tie up, and so I'm not really worried about that. But, fan speculation is always fun. It's always fun to hear what people think. But we've got a lot going on right now in the present, see, like a Jedi, you must keep your mind in the here and now. We got Maul and we got Mando happening, so it's very exciting."

Maul – Shadow Lord recently wrapped up on Disney Plus with a cameo and showdown Star Wars fans have been waiting 27 years for, and Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 has already been confirmed.

The Mandalorian and Grogu, meanwhile, will pick up with Din Djarin and his tiny green charge on another adventure, this time involving Rotta the Hutt.

The film arrives this May 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Maul – Shadow Lord star Sam Witwer says those flashbacks in episode 8 were confusing to fans on purpose, but for a much deeper reason than you might think.

"Brad, very smartly, along with Dave (Filoni)’s help, and Matt (Michnovetz), he made sure that everything we saw in those 'flashbacks,'" Witwer explained on the My Mom's Basement Podcast. "Are they flashbacks? Seems like a vision? Is a vision a flashback? How does that work? Because nothing that we see in those visions matches up with The Clone Wars or The Phantom Menace. They're different. People saying things in a different order, you know, and the audience can take from that what they will. They can try to interpret why. We know why we did it that way. Brad knows why he did it that way."

In Maul - Shadow Lord episode 8, Maul is beside himself after losing a battle with Marrok and the Eleventh Brother. As he walks alone and reflects, he is suddenly plagued with a series of visions that are presented to the viewer as flashbacks. And here's where things get a little confusing: these flashbacks involve various events throughout Maul's life that made him what he is today... but they're different to the way they play out in canon.

Is the show retconning or changing Star Wars canon? Not quite. This is sort of how trauma works sometimes: the memories can change over time, therefore turning the survivor into an unreliable narrator. What Maul sees, and what the viewer sees, isn't necessarily what actually happened. As Witwer says, it's all in Maul's head.

Added Witwer: "But, going along with that, Brad said, ‘It needs to be your voice with all the characters. Young Savage, Sidious, Young Maul, because this is Maul's, while it's a vision, it's also his remembrance, so this is all in his head."

All 10 episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord are streaming now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our Maul – Shadow Lord review, or our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order.

One of the most critically acclaimed TV shows of the 2000s has just dropped onto Paramount Plus, along with its spin-off series. Can you guess what it frakkin' is yet?

Yes, we're talking about Battlestar Galactica, the hugely-acclaimed sci-fi saga that began as a miniseries in 2004 and then ran for four full seasons.

The show, a gritty reimagining of the 1978 original, begins on the planet Caprica, one of 12 human colonies in the far future. Humanity has existed in an uneasy truce with the Cylons – a race of intelligent robots built by mankind – for decades. The story begins with the Cylons breaking that truce in a truly apocalyptic fashion, forcing the human survivors to go on the run in a beaten up fleet of starships headed up by the titular Battlestar Galactica.

Battlestar Galactica was a huge success, winning critical acclaim for its blend of sci-fi action, grounded human drama, and willingness to go to places that few genre shows had been before. Fans of Game of Thrones will see a lot of that show's boundary-pushing DNA in Galactica. In 2019 The New York Times named it one of the 20 Best TV Dramas Since The Sopranos – very high praise indeed.

All 76 episodes of the show are streaming now on Paramount Plus, as is The Plan, one of two TV movies connected to the show. Another TV movie, Razor, is mysteriously not included.

Also available is the show's short-lived prequel series, Caprica. This was an origin story for the Cylons and took place on the doomed planet of the title, some 58 years before Battlestar. Although the series only ran for one season of 19 episodes, and was nowhere near as well-received as its predecessor, it has some strong writing and performances and is worth seeking out if you've never seen it.

For more great streaming, check out our guides to the best Paramount Plus shows and the best Paramount Plus movies.

The Maul – Shadow Lord finale finally brought us the Maul vs. Vader showdown we've been waiting 27 years for… and it also snuck in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to Luke Skywalker, too.

In the episode, Darth Vader also fought Jedi Padawan Devon Izara and her Master Eeko-Dio Daki. During his clash with Daki, Vader hits the Jedi Master with his lightsaber over and over again from above, in a move that you might recognize from Return of the Jedi. In the throne room scene of that Star Wars movie, Luke Skywalker used the same attack on Vader when he was in danger of slipping to the dark side. Check out a comparison below.

Vader eventually killed Daki after Maul betrayed the Jedi and Force pushed him closer to the Sith Lord. Only Brander Lawson saw what Maul did, though he stayed behind to sacrifice himself and allow the others to escape. In the aftermath, Devon finally agreed to be trained by Maul. You can read more in our Maul – Shadow Lord ending explained.

Luckily, Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 has already been confirmed, so we hopefully won't have long to wait to see what happens next. One thing that could be on the cards is Devon eventually becoming Talon, a character from George Lucas's scrapped plans for the sequel trilogy.

"We can't give away too much," supervising director Brad Rau told us of Talon speculation before the show aired. "We have heard a lot of the fan theories and speculations, and we are fascinated by them. We'll just put it at that, leave it at that."

Next up for Star Wars is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which lands in theaters this May 22. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

A new trailer for Netflix sci-fi show The Boroughs, from executive producers the Duffer Brothers, has arrived – and it teases a dark secret hidden in a seemingly idyllic community for senior citizens.

In the trailer, which you can watch above, Alfred Molina's Sam Cooper arrives to The Boroughs, a peaceful, picturesque community for people of a certain age. Sam seems unhappy to be there, and his problems are soon multiplied when strange occurrences begin… and it looks like there are alien monsters hiding in the dark.

The Boroughs is created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who also created Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The Duffer Brothers, meanwhile, have already proved their sci-fi credentials with Stranger Things, and this show basically looks like Stranger Things for senior citizens. Sign us up.

"For years, we've wondered why no one has made a film like Ron Howard's wonderful Cocoon since, well, Cocoon," the Duffer Brothers said previously, referring to the sci-fi comedy about retirees and aliens. "Then, out of nowhere, Jeff and Will emailed us an idea for The Boroughs: a story about retirees and monsters. They were adamant that – unlike so many stories about older characters – this wouldn't treat aging as a punchline. Instead, it would treat its characters as real people facing real challenges… along with a few supernatural ones. It was exactly the show we’d been dreaming of."

The Boroughs arrives on May 21. Fill out your watchlist with our roundup of the best Netflix shows.

Following the Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 finale, it sounds as though Star Wars fans have a newfound respect for Obi-Wan Kenobi and how powerful the Jedi master actually is.

Warning: the following contains major spoilers for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 episode 10, so turn back now if you haven't caught up.

The Shadow Lord season finale has finally given what we have all been waiting for, a showdown between Darth Vader and Maul. The two go head to head, but it seems as though Maul doesn't realise that it is actually Anakin under the mask. This aside, Maul knows he cannot defeat the Sith lord, so he brings the roof down on Vader, and he and Devon manage to escape. You can read more about the battle in our Maul – Shadow Lord ending explained.

However, Maul running away from Vader seems to have made a lot of Star Wars fans see Obi-Wan Kenobi in a new light, as after all, he is the only one who has been able to defeat Vader. Well, nearly. "After watching Episode 10 of Maul: Shadow Lord, it really hit me just how powerful this man truly is," said one fan on Reddit.

Many agreed, and one fan replied, "Obi-Wan was the second to last Jedi Master. His knight trial was literally facing a Sith Lord alone." Another added, "He's also the best defensive duelist in the order, possibly even of all time," pointing out his fight with General Grievous, "Obi-Wan had him figuratively and literally disarmed and on the run in mere minutes."

Obi-Wan taught Anakin Skywalker everything he needed to know about becoming a Jedi. However, after being manipulated by Palpatine, Anakin turned to the dark side and on Kenobi, which led to their fiery battle in Revenge of the Sith. Obi-Wan managed to overpower Anakin, severing his limbs. However, he survived his wounds and the lava and was turned into the metal-limbed leader, Darth Vader.

Other fans in the chain pointed out that Obi-Wan was able to beat Vader because he trained him. However, others say that just makes their battles more exciting. "They were so in sync with each other that a good chunk of their fights is them making moves the other knows and not knowing what move to make to throw them off guard," and another added, "I will also defend the fight in A New Hope when both of them have developed so far, and are barely moving, because both are reading each others slightest micro movements"

The two have had rematches in A New Hope and in episodes three and six of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but the Sith Lord was finally killed in Return of the Jedi due to his suit malfunctioning after he threw Emperor Palpatine down the reactor shaft.

Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 is available to stream on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order, and keep up with upcoming Star Wars movies and shows on the way.

The Maul – Shadow Lord finale gave Star Wars fans what we've been waiting almost 30 years for: a showdown between Maul and Darth Vader.

Vader appears at the very end of episode 9, and then he fights against Devon Izara, her Master Eeko-Dio Daki, and Maul throughout episode 10. They prove to be no match for this Sith Lord, however – and that's all without Vader speaking a single word.

At an event for the final two episodes, Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni expanded on his thoughts on Vader.

"The key to Vader for me is that he's not Anakin," Filoni explained (via io9). "He doesn't recognize that. He can't. Anything that reminds him of Anakin, he's going to destroy. So when he sees a Jedi, he's going to destroy the Jedi, because the Jedi would remind him unconsciously or consciously that he betrayed all of his friends and everything he knew and the life he grew up with. For what? For nothing. He lost everything. He made a bad trade. He was lied to. He was deceived. He can't accept that truth. So he’s even farther down the path than Maul."

Filoni's explanation is very bleak, but also fits Vader perfectly. "Maul is struggling to let go of hate, but Anakin got consumed by it," he added. "If he were to face what he did, it would destroy him more. I find a lot of pity for him because of what he did and the depth of his treachery. And that's Darth Vader. Anakin's trapped in there somewhere, and Darth Vader won't let him surface. And so to me, the key is not to actually give him a character. He's devoid of it because he doesn't care. Darth Vader does not care. He does not have compassion. He does not see you. He sees the thing he wants to destroy, and he will do that. It's like the same feeling you got in Rogue One when he comes down the hallway. He doesn't talk to those guys. He's going to destroy them. He has one mission, and all of his remorse and all of his anger and all of his hate is in every swing that he does. That's how it’s resolved."

Finally, Filoni referred to Vader's battle with Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars Rebels, as well as his eventual redemption. "And [when] he saw Ahsoka, he wants to destroy her," he said. "She, of all people, would remind him of who he was. He's like, 'I gotta destroy that. I can't face that.' Obi-Wan, he wants to destroy him. So he is a destroyer, Darth Vader. And critically, only his son, only his offspring, could make him spark, could make him see something. But at first, selfishly, [he said] 'You and I can rule the galaxy.' That's where he goes. He doesn't come all the way back. It's a long process."

All of this explains very well why Vader wouldn't speak: he's purely in destroyer mode, with no room for anything else.

The Maul – Shadow Lord ending saw Maul betray Daki and Force push him closer to Vader, essentially sacrificing the Jedi Master to ensure his own escape. Naturally, Vader killed Daki, which Devon witnessed – and which cleared the way for her to finally accept Maul's training. That leaves things open for Maul – Shadow Lord season 2, and it also might be pointing to Devon eventually becoming Talon from George Lucas's original sequel trilogy plans.

"We can't give away too much," supervising director Brad Rau told us of Talon speculation before the show aired. "We have heard a lot of the fan theories and speculations, and we are fascinated by them. We'll just put it at that, leave it at that."

You can stream all episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord on Disney Plus now. For more, check out our Maul – Shadow Lord review, or our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order.

The Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 finale was certainly huge, featuring an epic showdown with Darth Vader and the tragic death of Devon Izara's Master, Eeko-Dio Daki.

But, amid all the big moments, some answers to major questions about Maul raised by Star Wars Rebels can be found.

When we see Maul for the first time in Rebels, he walks with a cane, and his double-bladed red lightsaber appears to be a modified version of an Inquisitor blade.

In the Shadow Lord ending, Maul gives half of his lightsaber to Devon so she can fight the Eleventh Brother after losing her own, while Maul's mechanical legs – which had already sustained damage earlier in the season – are repeatedly attacked by Vader.

"Finally seeing why Maul walks with a cane, why one half of his lightsaber is taken from an Inquisitor's blade, and why he knew he couldn't take Vader on alone in Rebels is just so great! A really great way to fill in the blanks!" says one fan on Twitter.

While Maul's Rebels lightsaber does appear to be a full Inquisitor blade, and not half of one, Shadow Lord still makes a clear connection between Maul and the Inquisitorious by having the ex-Sith go up against Marrok and the Eleventh Brother. Establishing what is likely to be an ongoing rivalry might explain how Maul ends up with an Inquisitor's blade, even if it can't be Marrok's or the Eleventh Brother's (Marrok has his lightsaber in Ahsoka and the Eleventh Brother is later killed by Ahsoka Tano, as seen in Tales of the Jedi).

Maul also has the lightsaber in his brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is set around a decade after Shadow Lord and roughly six years before Maul's Rebels appearance on the Star Wars timeline. So, Maul will likely obtain his new lightsaber soon – perhaps in Shadow Lord season 2, and perhaps because he gives both halves of his other lightsaber (the original from The Phantom Menace) to Devon.

As for the cane, Maul does appear to be pretending to need it to gain Ezra Bridger's trust, but it also could be a legitimate need. While he would have plenty of time to get his legs fixed in the next decades, Vader might have caused lasting damage, or made them more prone to breaking again.

And, Maul's belief in Rebels that he can't take on Vader alone is likely based on his duel in Shadow Lord… though the duo could meet again in the years before Rebels takes place. It all remains to be seen.

You can stream all episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord on Disney Plus now. For more on the show, check out our Maul – Shadow Lord review, or our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order to catch up on Maul's story.

Star Wars fans feel like May 4th passed them by, as there was a surprising lack of news or announcements from the galaxy far, far away.

"Did star wars even do anything for may 4th. Any announcements? Or like did the maul finale drop and that was it," one fan wrote on Twitter.

"I was really expecting them to capitalize on the success of Hail Mary and promote Ryan Gosling in Starfighter leading up to Mando and Grogu but there was nothing once again Disney is fumbling the marketing," replied someone else. Star Wars: Starfighter is set to hit theaters in 2027.

"I really thought we were gonna have Ahsoka’s season two news but i was FOOLED," wrote another. Ahsoka season 2 has seemingly been confirmed for release this year, but very little has been revealed about the new installment yet.

"Was pretty much mainly the final two episodes of Maul: Shadow Lord. But honestly, with how incredible they were, that was more than enough for me," said another, more satisfied, fan.

Season 1 of animated series Maul – Shadow Lord came to an end this Star Wars Day, with a surprising cameo that gave fans a showdown almost 30 years in the making.

Next up from the galaxy far, far away is The Mandalorian and Grogu. Starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White, the movie is set in the aftermath of the fall of the Empire as Din Djarin and his small green ward are recruited by the New Republic to help protect what the Rebellion fought for.

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22. In the meantime, catch up with our guide to the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows on the way.

Star Wars Day (AKA May 4) brings us a Hutt-sized haul of merch each year, and 2026 is no different. Actually, it feels as though there's more on offer for the event this time around than before. I was lucky enough to go hands-on with almost all of it when I visited Disney's London HQ a couple of months ago, and was taken aback by how much there was to see.

Because the only way to sort the good from the dark side was to go hands-on with as much of it as I could, I did my due diligence and mucked about with all the Star Wars Day merch for 2026 I could find. While plenty of items stood out, a few rose above the rest like rocks being Force-lifted by Yoda. The wearable Boushh helmet from Return of the Jedi was an easy highlight, for example; it's made of incredibly convincing materials with top tier weathering that makes the replica seem as though it's come from the movie set, topped off with a voice changer. I also adored the Starbucks signature mug series, bringing beloved planets to life in a classy, more abstract style. My favorite collection might just be the Endor range, though, and you can find out why below.

Want the very best Star Wars Day merch this May 4? Here's what I would prioritize, based on personal experience.

Note: A lot of these items are selling out fast at both the US Disney Store and UK Disney Store, so be aware that particularly popular ones may be out of stock by the time you read this.

For more from a galaxy far, far away, don't miss my favorite Star Wars board games or these essential Star Wars Lego sets.

Maul – Shadow Lord has come to an end, and it's quite the explosive conclusion, featuring a major cameo and a lightsaber duel Star Wars fans have been waiting for ever since The Phantom Menace.

The show has followed Maul's attempts to rebuild the Shadow Collective and reassert control over his criminal empire, alongside trying to recruit Jedi Padawan Devon Izara as his apprentice. In the Maul – Shadow Lord ending, everything comes together… and, in the process, we get a Star Wars showdown almost three decades in the making.

Below, we've broken down exactly what that major cameo means for Maul, as well as the surprise twist that means this duo still have unfinished business. The following contains spoilers for Maul – Shadow Lord, so turn back now if you haven't finished the entire show. For more, you can check out our Maul – Shadow Lord review for our spoiler-free verdict on the show.

The Darth Vader Maul – Shadow Lord cameo explained

In episode 8 of Shadow Lord, as Maul and his unlikely allies attempt to flee Janix, Rook Kast is suddenly dragged into the mist by an unseen foe and killed. Soon after, we hear that distinctive mechanical breathing: it's none other than Darth Vader.

Maul, Eeko-Dio Daki, and Devon Izara battle the fearsome Sith Lord in the finale, and Daki is killed by him when Maul betrays the Jedi Master and Force pushes him closer to Vader. This devastates Devon, and it also makes her angry enough to eventually accept Maul's offer to train her, potentially setting her up to become Talon in Maul – Shadow Lord season 2.

While Maul does battle Vader and eventually collapses a building on him to escape, he never figures out Vader's true identity as Anakin Skywalker. Of course, hardly anyone in the galaxy knows the truth at this point on the Star Wars timeline, but Maul has a very good reason to connect the dots. In the Siege of Mandalore Clone Wars arc, he attempted to lure Anakin to Mandalore to kill him and prevent the Jedi from becoming Darth Sidious's apprentice, as Maul had foreseen the fall of the Republic. But, Ahsoka Tano arrived instead, which foiled Maul's plan.

In Shadow Lord, Maul and Vader finally come face to face. This is the first time in the Star Wars canon that these dark siders have met, apart from two brief moments in The Phantom Menace when they are in the same location (though, Anakin is 10 years old at the time). They have another near miss in Star Wars Rebels, which is set many years after Shadow Lord, when Maul is nearby as Vader duels his former apprentice, Ahsoka (AKA Snips).

The Shadow Lord battle, then, is a huge deal, since Maul was once Sidious's apprentice just like Vader, and Maul harbors a lot of resentment over being replaced after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi. And, since Maul foresaw Anakin's fall to the dark side, this is vindication for the ex-Sith that he was right all along.

But, in a surprise twist, Maul does not realize that Vader is Anakin Skywalker in the Shadow Lord finale. At first, Maul is baffled by the Sith Lord, musing that Vader is no Inquisitor. Once he figures out that Vader is indeed a Sith, he encourages Devon to use her anger as the only way to defeat this new threat, pointing out that he himself was trained by a Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, so he knows what he's talking about.

By the end of the episode, as Maul and Devon escape Vader, Maul still doesn't seem to have put two and two together and worked out that Anakin Skywalker lives and has become Darth Vader. It would seem this particular revelation is being saved for later, perhaps in Maul – Shadow Lord season 2. It's no surprise that Maul might not figure it out straight away, either, as, after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Anakin is thought dead: even Obi-Wan doesn't learn Anakin lives for a few more years, as seen in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show.

What the Shadow Lord duel does give us, however, is an answer to the question of who would win if Maul and Vader ever clashed blades. Unfortunately for Maul, the answer is extremely obvious: Vader easily handles him, Devon, and Daki with his brute strength, and it's all Maul and Devon can do to escape. In this way, the fight is very reminiscent of Cal Kestis's battle with Vader in Jedi Fallen Order.

We'll just have to wait and see to find out when Maul will realize he was right about Anakin Skywalker all along, but, for now, this clash is more than enough to tide us over.

You can catch up with Maul's story with our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order, or see our roundup of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

The Maul – Shadow Lord ending is especially dramatic, and it sets up an exciting future for the titular ex-Sith.

The show has chronicled Maul's attempts to rebuild his criminal empire after the events of The Clone Wars, as well as his pursuit of Jedi Padawan Devon Izara as his apprentice. Everything comes to a head in the final two episodes, and there's plenty to unpack.

Below, we've broken down everything you need to know about the Maul – Shadow Lord ending, which naturally means there are major spoilers ahead. Turn back now if you're not up to date! For more on the show, check out our Maul – Shadow Lord review for our spoiler-free verdict.

Maul – Shadow Lord ending explained

The final two episodes begin with Crimson Dawn's Dryden Vos offering Maul a deal: if the ex-Sith Lord will help install Vos as leader of the crime syndicate, he'll help Maul escape Janix. Maul agrees, and he implants an image of a meeting place in Devon Izara's mind. Devon and her Master Eeko-Dio Daki, Brander Lawson, Rylee Lawson, and Two-Boots head to the meeting point.

But, Inquisitor Marrok and the Eleventh Brother are in close pursuit. As the whole crew attempts to traverse a toxic waste site, the Inquisitors catch up and a battle begins. Some of Maul's crew die, but the main players make it across safely. Marrok then gives an ominous instruction: "Inform him they are headed his way."

On the way to meet Dryden Vos, Rook Kast is dragged away and killed by an unknown foe in an eerie, horror movie-style moment. It's not long before we hear that distinctive mechanical breathing, though, and it becomes clear who Maul and the others will have to battle to escape: Darth Vader. While Maul knew of Darth Sidious's plans to make Anakin Skywalker his apprentice, as shown in the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars, he doesn't seem to put two and two together in Shadow Lord and realize Vader is Anakin. Instead, all he knows is Vader is a Sith Lord.

Maul encourages Devon to give in to her rage as the only way to beat Vader, but Daki resists this. Marrok and the Eleventh Brother show up, and another fight starts as Lawson, Rylee, Vario, and Two-Boots battle with stormtroopers. Devon ends up fighting the two Inquisitors alone as Daki and Maul clash with Vader. Marrok is Force pushed by Devon over the edge of the walkway they're fighting on and disappears into the mist.

Maul sees Devon fighting alone and Force pushes Daki into Vader, getting the Jedi Master killed by the Sith Lord. Devon is devastated and, when she loses her lightsaber, Maul throws her half of his red blade. She pursues the Eleventh Brother inside the ruins of a nearby building, but Vader takes her by surprise. Maul brings down the roof on Vader, which almost isn't enough to stop him, but he and Devon manage to escape. Meanwhile, Brander Lawson sacrifices himself to the stormtroopers so Rylee, Two-Boots, and Vario can escape.

Devon, Maul, Rylee, Two-Boots, and Vario make it onto Dryden Vos's ship, where Vos reminds Maul of their deal. Devon then finally agrees to Maul training her, setting up Maul – Shadow Lord season 2.

Who dies in Maul – Shadow Lord season 2?

There are a few casualties in the final two episodes. Rook Kast is killed by Darth Vader, as is Eeko-Dio Daki after Maul betrays him and Force pushes him closer to the Sith Lord. Brander Lawson also sacrifices himself so his son Rylee, Two-Boots, and Vario can escape the Empire.

Does Maul fight Darth Vader?

Yes, the Star Wars battle we've been waiting years for finally happens in Shadow Lord. This duo have had a few close calls before: they crossed paths in The Phantom Menace when Anakin Skywalker was still a child, then Maul hoped to lure Anakin to Mandalore during the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars to kill him and prevent him become Darth Sidious's apprentice. In Star Wars Rebels, Maul is also nearby when Ahsoka Tano duels her old Master – and he believes he's not strong enough to fight Vader alone, suggesting familiarity with the Sith Lord.

In Shadow Lord, they clash along with Devon and Daki. Interestingly, Maul doesn't seem to have realized that Vader is Anakin Skywalker, either, meaning that realization is most likely still to come.

Who is Dryden Vos?

Dryden Vos is introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story as the fearsome leader of Crimson Dawn. In Shadow Lord, he strikes a deal with Maul to become that leader, meaning the show has laid the groundwork for Maul's surprise cameo in Solo (which is set after Shadow Lord on the Star Wars timeline).

In Solo, Vos is played by Marvel's Paul Bettany, though, in Shadow Lord, he's voiced by Scott Whyte.

What happens to Inquisitor Marrok and the Eleventh Brother?

Marrok is Force pushed by Devon over the edge of a walkway, and he falls to places unknown. It's unclear whether he survives this or not, as, when he is struck down in Ahsoka, green Nightsister magic escapes from his armor. That suggests he might have been undead in that show… though, it seems unlikely he did die here, as Maul and co. leave without collecting his body, so there'd be no way for the Nightsisters to get hold of him. Instead, he'll most likely return some day, alive and well.

As for the Eleventh Brother, he runs into the same building as Vader, and Maul brings the roof down shortly afterwards. However, we know the Eleventh Brother, AKA Crow, survives, because he goes on to duel Ahsoka Tano in Tales of the Jedi.

Is Devon Darth Talon?

That remains to be seen, though it seems pretty likely judging by the final episode. In the last moments of the finale, Devon agrees to be trained by Maul, and she has already accepted half of his red lightsaber. It seems this Jedi Padawan is poised to slip to the dark side.

In George Lucas's original plans for the sequel trilogy, Maul was a crime lord with a Twi'lek apprentice named Talon. It would make a lot of sense if this is the trajectory Shadow Lord follows as it continues. "We can't give away too much," supervising director Brad Rau previously told us of Talon speculation. "We have heard a lot of the fan theories and speculations, and we are fascinated by them. We'll just put it at that, leave it at that."

Will Maul – Shadow Lord get a season 2?

Maul – Shadow Lord season 2 has already been confirmed. Though it doesn't have a release date yet, Maul actor Sam Witwer has hinted that we won't have to wait long to see it. "It's the usual development cycle... I know when it's coming out, but it's not a situation where the audiences will have to wait too, too long," he shared.

Does Maul – Shadow Lord have a post-credits scene?

No, Shadow Lord does not have a post-credits scene. Once the credits roll on episode 10, that's the end of the show so far.

You can catch up on Maul's story with our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order, or see our roundup of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.